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The specter of China has edged into US election rhetoric − for Republicans much more than Democrats

Fan Yang, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Of the four presidential and vice presidential candidates, only Tim Walz did not mention China in his convention speech − and he is the only one with personal knowledge of the country.

If new technologies snarl your airline experience, here are old-school strategies to cope

Christopher Schaberg, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis

Digital technology can make flying safer, but it can also disrupt air travel.

Trump and Harris, with starkly different records on labor issues, are both courting union voters

Robert Forrant, UMass Lowell

Union voters are particularly significant in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Nevada, three swing states where the share of voters who belong to unions is above average.

When cannabis is rescheduled, states can look to Colorado and Washington for ideas on how to regulate it

Boyoung Seo, Indiana University

Colorado and Washington both have legal recreational marijuana. But they regulate growers and dispensaries differently, which has created a David vs. Goliath in the marketplace.

Apps, 911 services and mobile phones don’t offset deadly consequences of more restrictive border policies

Angela Schöpke Gonzalez, University of Michigan

Last year, at least 686 migrants died trying to cross into the US from Mexico. Many had the option to call 911 but were too afraid of detection and deportation to seek help.

5 lessons from ancient civilizations for staying cool in hot, dry climates that today’s builders often ignore

Adriana Zuniga-Teran, University of Arizona

Builders knew how to keep people cool in hot, dry climates thousands of years ago. It’s time to get that knowledge back.

Gus Walz’s unbridled emotion on the DNC stage opens the door to more understanding of neurodiversity

Sneha Kohli Mathur, University of Southern California

The best way to learn about neurodivergence is by listening to neurodivergent people themselves.

COVID-19, flu and RSV shots − an epidemiologist explains why all three matter this fall

Annette Regan, University of San Francisco

The summer 2024 COVID-19 wave is a good reminder that it’s important to get vaccinated with the updated shot.

‘Homicide: Life on the Streets’ laid the groundwork for Peak TV – and it’s finally available to stream for new and old fans of the series

Summit Osur, Quinnipiac University

Due to conflicts over music rights and the high cost of adapting the show to HD, the series had become overshadowed by its spiritual successor, ‘The Wire.’

2 solar probes are helping researchers understand what phenomenon powers the solar wind

Yeimy J. Rivera, Smithsonian Institution; Michael L. Stevens, Smithsonian Institution; Samuel Badman, Smithsonian Institution

For years, researchers have wondered what energy source allows the solar wind − a projection of charged particles from the Sun − to rush by at hundreds of miles a second.

Geoengineering: the scientists who argue modifying the climate could buy the world time

Gemma Ware, The Conversation

In the first of two episodes on geoengineering, The Conversation Weekly examines the case for repairing the climate with technological interventions. Our second episode on Monday examines the case against solar radiation modification.

Complicated app settings are a threat to user privacy

AI supercharges data center energy use – straining the grid and slowing sustainability efforts

2024’s violent tornado season has been one of the most active on record − a meteorologist explains the weather behind the outbreaks

The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz

Fritz Holznagel, The Conversation

Here’s the first question of this week’s edition:

A new study, released in June, analyzed the United States' "orgasm gap." What is the gap the study referred to?

1. A. The U.S. now trails China in orgasms per capita
2. B. Women still have fewer orgasms than men
3. C. Gen Z has been having fewer orgasms than Millennials
4. D. There is no gap − orgasms remain widely popular

Test your knowledge